Chapter – 14 - Friday 27th June 2008
We were off on another ‘adventure’ today on the other side of Osaka to visit
‘Kimiko’ a friend of ours whom we have met several times in Australia and Japan in the past. Kimiko, very kindly, offered to be the drop off point for 3 ‘boxes of stuff’ that we posted before leaving Australia, mainly filled with ‘gifts’!
Japan has a gift giving custom that is prolific. You give everyone gifts all the time it seems. Well not quite, but it is the custom to bring a gift if you are meeting someone for the first time or as a thank you. ‘Local area’ gifts are considered the best as they represent the place that you come from and many Japanese exchange cakes or delicacies common to their region. So we have come armed with lots and lots of local ‘Noosa’ & ‘Aussie’ goodies. But I have been waiting for the boxes to arrive for ages (2 of them went missing and lots of phone calls back and forth eventually found them!! Thank you to our wonderful Fiona who is holding the fort at home.)
We had to navigate the ‘world wide web’ train system to get to Kimiko’s place and mobile phone/information booth/’you are here’ boards and crossed fingers, found us eventually on the right train. We did jump on one train and just at the very very last minute discovered we were heading for Kyoto!!!
Very nice place (one of the oldest preserved cities in Japan) but “Not today please!”
Kimiko was there to meet us in her car with her sister and very shy daughter. They took us to a fantastic local restaurant decorated in ‘traditional’ style (see photos). We ordered udon noodles and tempura (veges and prawns lightly battered and deep fried – very nice not like ‘normal fried food’.) Brian ordered the ‘Home Run’ dish and it was HUGE!!! He managed to eat it all though. Why are we not surprised! Kimiko took us back to her house. This is a great honour as most Japanese meet at cafes or away from their homes. So we felt very special to be invited. Kimiko had lots of different cakes and sweets on offer as well as several different kinds of drink. Oolong Tea is served cold as is traditional Japanese tea (both smoky in flavour – I prefer the Japanese Tea) Also hot tea and variations of the above. The sweets are very interesting looking. Bamboo leaves wrapped around ‘gluten’ – green in colour from the mugwort, would you believe and in the middle ‘sweet red bean paste’. Very very sticky – Note: “Don’t eat the bamboo leaves – very tough and for wrapping only!” Another variation is a green globby ball which is made out of ground rice. Then there is the pale green rice balls wrapped in maple leaves (Note: Maple leaves are OK to eat!)
Bamboo leaves………no eat……….maple leaves………eat………bamboo leaves…….no eat………….maple leaves……….eat! OK I think I have got it!!
We had brought our empty suit cases and back packs to fill up with all the goodies out of the boxes. Much easier to navigate home with wheels than carrying boxes. It was like Christmas with me unwrapping all the things I had packed weeks before and I was very pleased to have all the gifts as we had been meeting lots of new people and were ‘gift less’ so I have been happily dishing out the ‘kangaroo key rings’, Kitschy, but they love them.
On our way back we got to talking to these wonderful ‘older’ ladies in their Kimonos going home from somewhere special. We stood in line for the train with them and also on the ride back home. One of the ladies handed us her fan which was tucked into her ‘Obe’, that is the wide banded belt that goes around the waist of the Kimono. We were very touched as it is very beautiful with see through butterflies and golden wooden fanny bits. She then apologised that it was not ‘new’!!! We said we preferred that it was not as it had her ‘energy’ on it. Then another lady gave us a pretty cloth cover for it!!!
They were so generous and humble. I was so happy that I had ‘gifts’ and rummaged around in the suit case and found our ‘trusty clip on koalas’ they loved them and they all looked very fetching in their soft coloured, elegant Kimonos with their iridescent clip on koalas carrying aussie flags!!! A wonderful cultural fashion fusion!!! Tasteful very tasteful – good on ya Nols! Trust you to create a whole new fashion look!!!
The Gods have been working overtime with the blessings as we have had lots of ‘spooky synchronistic’ events happening!! Always nice confirmation that we are ‘in the flow’! We were getting on the train…………”Yea I know……..again”!!
And were just about to go on the escalator with that nice ’voice’ lady that talks to us but decided on the lift at the last minute (another nice ‘voice’ lady there too!) A girl jumped on at the last minute with us and just happened to be Australian!!! Kim! So we walked to the train together and sat and got talking and as stories go she is a singer too and lives in Sydney but used to live on the North Coast and sang with ‘Isabella A Cappella’. “Have you heard of the choir, Brian”!!! Well……………..just so happens that Brian sang with that choir for many years and Isabella was his mentor. Also seems that Kim is good friends with the ‘Best Man’ at our wedding, Simon!!! OH MY GOD!!! (I say that a lot!) What an amazingly small world it really is………..just don’t fart sideways cos someone will find out even across the other side of the world!!!
Well gotta go to bed…………….these Japanese working hours are crazy!!! Its midnight and here I am still on the computer!!!
So there closes another episode of “Martinssssssssssss Innnnnnnnnn Japannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn”!
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